Bruno Fernandes is a player of great skill, often used in the centre of the pitch where he can affect a game directly. However, recently we have seen him playing on the right for both club and country, often disappearing in matches and finding himself less effective than usual. Why is that the case, and why does Bruno Fernandes need to be the focal point of a team?
What Does Fernandes Provide?
Fernandes is someone who combines space invasion, chance creation, ball progression and high risk taking all into one, that’s without including his high work rate and tempo setting capabilities. Whilst he’s most known for his high risk game where he sets out to create as many chances as possible, Fernandes knows how to calm a game down when required, he has the right balance between urgency and calmness.
He’s a player who is good at finding space between the opposition lines, also the area in which he is most effective. He thrives on being in positions where he can find the final pass as more often than not he’s able to create a huge chance from it. Even though he is less effective than in a deeper position, Fernandes is good at ball carrying and progression via passes which helps the team get forward.
It’s difficult to ignore his goal threat, something that’s up amongst the best midfielders in the world. Since joining Manchester United, he’s scored the most goals out of any midfielder and closely rivals some forwards too. When you combine his ball striking ability and his tendency to find gaps in defences, you have a lethal player in the box.
Central or On The Right?
Recently we’ve seen managers utilise Fernandes on the right of an attacking three as a wide playmaker, this has occurred both for club (Manchester United) and country (Portugal). He is used in this position in order to limit dangerous possession losses in the middle, however this isn’t a position or role that suits him and it often leads to him having a much reduced influence on matches.
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As seen in the data table, Fernandes is much neater when played on the left or the right of an attacking three, averaging 5% higher pass accuracy when at LM and 12% when at RM, however the main issue here is the drop off in shot-creating actions. At RM, Fernandes averages 0.79 less shot-creating actions per90 than in the middle, however at LM it’s a 2.54 drop off which is massive.
When played on the right, Bruno poses a threat in the half space as his delivery into the box from that zone is very good, however he’s often pushed wider by the AM and advancing CM (usually Eriksen). His stats are also highly skewed in this role due to the lack of minutes played.
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When compared to the rest of the league, Fernandes places in the upper left quartile when played at AM and in the upper right quartile when played at wide midfield. This displays the change in ball retention as he completes 8% more of his passes when at wide midfield. However, at LM/RM he ranks much closer to the average when it comes to shot-creating actions, a drop off of around 1.8 SCA per 90. This highlights the reduction of influence in the game when he is at wide midfield, and it is a significant drop off.
Recent National Team Form
Fernandes has been key to Portugal’s side so far this World Cup, racking up four goal contributions so far. In their opener against Ghana, Portugal appeared to lack control until Fernando Santos made some changes to the side, one of which was moving Fernandes into a central position. He proceeded to assist twice this game, one from a deep position with a line breaking pass and the second made by his excellent ball progression by driving at the opposition and laying off a pass to Rafael Leão. When in a wide position, Fernandes is unable to do this since he is never in a position where he can play the killer pass to lay it off to one of his team mates.
Similarly, against Uruguay he benefitted from moving into a central role. His first goal (or assist as Cristiano Ronaldo claims) came from a cross into the box which we have seen him do for Manchester United. His ability to roam out wide from the central space allowed others to occupy that area, but in the end the goalkeeper was fooled by Ronaldo’s run. The penalty that he won was also made by a drive into a central space, nutmegging the defender which eventually led to another goal.
It appears as though Fernando Santos wants security in his midfield with Bernardo Silva, Ruben Neves and William Carvalho but the side struggle to create chances until Fernandes is moved back into the midfield 3.
This is further backed by @Whoscored’s key pass locations from the Portugal vs Ghana match. Fernandes completed three key passes this game, more than any other team mate, and they were all from central zones despite spending the majority of the game out wide and only spending around 20 minutes in a central position, indicating his importance centrally.
The Verdict
The proof is in the data, in order to maximise utility with Bruno’s creativity, he must be played in the attacking midfield role, a central position where he has the freedom to roam and create chances. Whilst he’s more secure passing the ball when in a wider position, that is countered by his lack of influence on his side with the significant decrease in chances created overall. Bruno Fernandes should be allowed to be the focal point of any side that he is in due to his ability to create and score chances, ultimately winning games.
